1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-directional slide switch for input operation of various kinds of electronic equipment in which the sliding operation of a control lever scrolls a display on a screen.
2. Background Art
A conventional slide switch disclosed in the Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2001-307599 is described with reference to FIGS. 10 through 16.
FIG. 10 is an elevational view in section of the conventional multi-directional slide switch. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view thereof. FIG. 12 is a plan view of a case thereof. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a section thereof, illustrating how a first slide member is assembled. FIG. 14 is a plan view of another section thereof, illustrating how a second slide member is assembled.
As shown in FIG. 12, in box-shaped case 1 made of a resin, four fixed contacts (hereinafter referred to as “contacts”) 2A through 2D and four ground patterns 2E are disposed on the quadrangular inner bottom surface of case 1 along corresponding sidewalls thereof. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, first slide member (hereinafter referred to as a “slide member”) 3 and second slide member (hereinafter referred to as a “slide member”) 4 are stacked and housed in case 1. While slide member 3 is guided to slide in an X-axis direction parallel to the opposed sidewalls, slide member 4 is guided to slide in a Y-axis direction parallel to the other opposed sidewalls. The top opening of case 1 is covered with cover 5. On the top surface of slide member 3, control lever 6 (hereinafter referred to as a “lever”) is provided to project upwardly from penetration-hole 5A through cover 5. Attached to the bottom surface of slide member 3, movable contact (hereinafter referred to as a “contact”) 7 is formed of a resilient thin metal plate. Provided in the center of slide member 4 is through-hole 4A into which lever 6 is fitted with play.
As shown FIGS. 11 and 13, a pair of first engaging parts (hereinafter referred to as “engaging parts”) 3A on the top surface of slide member 3 are engaged with a pair of first guide parts (hereinafter referred to as “guide parts”) 4B that are provided on the bottom surface of slide member 4 to have a length equal to that of engaging parts 3A. Similarly, as shown FIGS. 11 and 14, a pair of second engaging parts (hereinafter referred to as “engaging parts”) 4C on the top surface of slide member 4 are engaged with a pair of second guide parts (hereinafter referred to as “guide parts”) 5B that are provided on the bottom surface of cover 5 to have a length equal to that of engaging parts 4C. These structures allow slide member 3 and slide member 4 to be guided so that they slide in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction, respectively.
In the vicinity of both ends of guide parts 4B, a pair of first return springs (hereinafter referred to as “springs”) 8 are disposed. Similarly, in the vicinity of both ends of guide parts 5B, a pair of second return springs (hereinafter referred to as “springs”) 9 are disposed. The pair of springs 8 are opposed so that respective coil portions 8A are positioned by a pair of opposed projections 4D. Similarly, the pair of springs 9 are opposed so that respective coil portions 9A are positioned by a pair of opposed projections 5C. In an inoperative state, arm portions 8B of springs 8 are adopted to make contact with guide parts 4B and ends of engaging parts 3A. On the other hand, arm portions 9B of springs 9 are adopted to make contact with guide parts 5B and ends of engaging parts 4C. This structure keeps engaging parts 3A and 4C, i.e., slide members 3 and 4, at rest in a neutral position.
Contact 7 is attached to the bottom surface of slide member 3. In an inoperative state, the tips of four resilient legs 7A through 7D are adopted to make contact with the inner bottom surface of case 1 between corresponding contacts 2A through 2D and corresponding four ground patterns 2E, as shown by the two-dot chain lines in FIG. 12.
As for press switch section 10 disposed in the center of the inner bottom surface of case 1, depressing press rod 11 disposed through the center portion of lever 6 resiliently deforms dome-shaped movable contact 12 for actuation.
First, in the conventional multi-directional slide switch structured as above, a description is provided of a case where lever 6 is pushed rightward from the inoperative state shown in FIG. 13 for a sliding operation in the X-axis direction.
As shown in FIG. 15, the ends on one side of engaging parts 3 push arm portions 8B of corresponding spring 8 on the right side. This resiliently deforms coil portion 8A while slide member 3 moves in the X-axis direction. Accordingly, the tip of resilient leg 7A of contact 7 shown FIG. 12 is brought into contact with contact 2A, and the tip of resilient leg 7B is brought into contact with ground pattern 2E. A signal is transferred to the outside from the terminals on the outer periphery of case 1. Thereafter, when the pushing force applied to lever 6 is removed, the resilient restoring force of spring 8 pushes engaging parts 3A, i.e., slide member 3, back to the original state shown in FIG. 13.
Next, a description is provided of a case where lever 6 is pushed backward from the inoperative state shown in FIG. 14 for a sliding operation in the Y-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 16, while engaging parts 4C resiliently deform corresponding spring 9 on the backward side, slide member 4 moves in the Y-axis direction. Accordingly, the tip of resilient leg 7C is brought into contact with contact 2C and the tip of resilient leg 7D is brought into contact with ground pattern 2E.
However, having a large number of components and taking much assembling time, this conventional multi-directional slide switch is expensive. Additionally, because slide members 3 and 4 are stacked, the switch has a high profile.